Introduction. This short paper reflects on the history of Information Research fromthe perspective of the Swedish School of Library and Information Science at theUniversity of Borås (Sweden), which was entrusted with the journal’s sustainablecontinuation by its founder Tom Wilson in 2016.Method. A short, informal survey among the authors was used to gather valuableinsights from current and former colleagues at the Swedish School of Library andInformation Science who all contributed to the journal in some form or other, andto compile a chronology of significant events for the journal and its current homebase.Conclusion. After thirty years, Information Research remains a key publicationvenue in the field – not least because of its founder’s trailblazing dedication to OpenAccess publishing avant la lettre. The Swedish School of Library and InformationScience is proud to look back on its involvement in the journal over the years, andremains dedicated to ensuring that it continues to offer a sustainable home forinformation research in the future.

Introduction. Between 2018- 2020, Swedish public library staff were involved in the national project Digital First to strengthen their capability to support citizens in developing digital competencies. In this paper we focus on the challenges that staff and management in public and regional libraries experienced while striving to support people’s development of digital competencies.

Method. In 2019 we met with staff and managers of five public libraries in different parts of Sweden for interviews and focus groups. In 2020, 19 online interviews and 18 email questionnaires were carried out with 20 regional coordinators of the Digital First project. The two datasets were combined for a comprehensive analysis, supplemented with data from quarterly reports collected by the national coordinator of Digital First.

Analysis. We conducted a qualitative content analysis guided by the theoretical concepts of institutional logic and legitimacy.

Results. On the municipal and the regional level, library staff offered education and support to users in the development of digital skills. The respondents referred to the Swedish Library Act and to their experience of citizens’ information needs to justify the library’s involvement in these activities. However, prospective users seldom experienced a need for competency development, nor did they regard libraries as sources for help with digital skill-building. Other bodies within the municipal organization (e.g. IT departments) were also often ignorant of the library’s remit and area of expertise in digital skills.

Conclusion. Tensions were identified among the expectations laid out at a national level in policy documents, the needs that library professionals strived to meet in their local work environments, and the expectations of the public. These tensions have complicated the ongoing efforts to justify the relevance of public and regional library work in Sweden.